Love and Hate
by escapetofaerie
Summary: Sakura vowed to devote her life to revenge. Syaoran devoted his life to having her. Will the love he has for her melt her frozen heart or will her hate win out in the end? SakuraxSyaoran EriolxTomoyo KahoxTouya AU
1. Prologue

**Author's note:** Here's a story I came up with while lounging around being a couch potato. It's a bit on the serious side (actually a lot on the serious side) but I hope you guys will like it. Here's the start. Enjoy! :D

**Title: Love and Hate**

**Rating: T**

**Disclaimer: **Card Captor Sakura belongs to CLAMP. I make no monetary profit from writing this story.

-oOo-

"Sorry for calling you out so suddenly. I know you've got a trip to go to today. It slipped my mind until the last moment," Syaoran apologized as he pulled up a chair for his girlfriend, Sakura Kinomoto.

Sakura's eyes sparkled with amusement as she looked at Syaoran. Syaoran had always found himself mesmerized by her eyes. They've been together for a year now but he still found himself lost in their green depths every so often. Closing his eyes to right his thoughts, he takes a deep breath before occupying the chair opposite her. They had spent the entire morning picking out a present for Syaoran's eldest sister who was to be introduced into society. Sakura was very close to all four of his sisters. True enough, they already considered her a part of the family. Syaoran was sure she would help him find the perfect present. Even with his limited knowledge of female whims and quirks, he knew his sister would be very pleased with what they chose.

"I enjoyed myself. It's for Shiefa-san after all. I'm really glad I could help," she answered with a smile.

Syaoran had found it almost impossible not to return Sakura's smiles in kind.

"Besides, I'm not pressed for time. I'm already good to go. All I have to do is chuck my things into the car."

"You're pretty excited."

Sakura gave a little laugh. "Does it show that much? I can't help it though. It's been so long since we've been on a family trip."

"It was really nice of your dad's boss to give you those resort coupons."

"Uh huh. He also excused my dad from work for a few days."

"Now that's very generous. I'm sure you're going to have a lot of fun."

Sakura's smile grew even wider. "I can't wait."

Syaoran laughed at her undisguised enthusiasm. As much as he wanted to keep her by his side a little longer, he knew he should give her more time to enjoy her family's company. Ever since her dad got a promotion and her mom landed a modeling contract, her parents were mostly out on business. Her brother was a fast rising star in the J-League and so he was always practicing or taking part in matches. It was rare to even see the four of them in the same house.

"Go on then, go home."

"And just leave you here?"

"Wei will probably take more than an hour. You'll be waiting long before we can drive you home."

Sakura frowned. "I'd feel guilty just leaving you here though."

Syaoran smiled to reassure her. "I'll be fine, really. Just think of it this way. The sooner you get home, the sooner you can go on your trip. I know your trip got delayed just so you can come help me today."

"How'd you find that out?" Sakura asked.

"It doesn't matter. I'll be all right. Trust me. Go."

Sakura smiled at him. "Thank you so much." She stands up and goes to Syaoran then gives him a kiss on the cheek as she hugs him. "See you in a few days," she whispers in his ear.

"See you, take care of yourself."

"I will!"

And with that Sakura went towards the door. Before heading out she turned and smiled at Syaoran once more before finally going out the door.

That was the last time he ever saw her.

-oOo-

**Author's note:** The next chapter's up as well. Read up. :D


	2. Fleeting Moments of My Memories

**Author's note:** Well, here's the first chapter. Enjoy! :D

**Title: Love and Hate**

**Rating: T**

**Disclaimer: **Card Captor Sakura belongs to CLAMP. I make no monetary profit from writing this story.

**Chapter 1: Fleeting Moments of My Memories**

-oOo-

Syoran woke with a start and for a few moments tried to remember where he was. He recognized the ceiling of his apartment and breathed a sigh of relief.

Dreams often assaulted Syaoran in the night and he had found out long ago that he tended to have long dreamless nights if he fell asleep exhausted. He had made it a point since then to thoroughly exhaust himself by nighttime. It had been a few months that he had not dreamt of her and so he was both glad and melancholy that he had dreamt of her tonight. The dream had been so vivid and he felt that he could have reached out and touched her had he tried. All the dreams he usually had of her bordered on nightmares but tonight had been different. He didn't often dream of the happier times he had had with her. He felt peaceful as he recalled the details of his dream. The way the light showed red highlights in her auburn hair, the scent of cherry blossoms that clung to her, and the depth of her eyes.

He opened his lamp of the bedside table and turned to where he knew they would be. On the day bed by his window sat a pair of teddy bears - one brown, one black. People would find it weird for a grown man like him to have these stuffed animals but he didn't mind. Only his closest friends knew the significance of those bears. They were but two of a small number of things he had left of her. He stared at them for a while longer before closing his eyes and tried to remember everything he knew about her visage. He image he had of her blurred as the years passed. He feared that there would come a day when he would forget her face entirely. He had always regretted not keeping a picture of her. That was one of the mysteries he pondered on every now and then. After he had lost her, her great-grandfather went through all the trouble of acquiring everything their family owned. Her mother was his favorite grandchild and Syaoran just thought he hoarded everything for himself. Not even her cousin, who was consequently her best friend, had anything of her. It was as if her great grandfather wanted to delete any trace of her family's existence. Not even their house stood now. It had been demolished a few months after the accident. Now, any object ever owned by any member of her family was with her great-grandfather. Syaoran understood full well the compulsion to squirrel away the memory of their loved ones.

He tried to remember her face once more and was surprised by how little he could now recall. He had long forgotten the sound of her voice. He remembered waking up as if from a nightmare three years ago. Her memory had become an integral part of him. Forgetting became equivalent to losing a part of himself. He had never fallen in love with anyone ever since. His friends had nagged him about constantly, almost scolding him for not getting over her. They kept saying that he had been a kid then, that it had been a bad case of puppy love, that he should have grown out of it years ago. Even if he had been 12 when he first fell in love with her, he knew even then that she was his perfect match. She was his soul mate, pathetic as that may sound. The ignorance that comes with youth did not prevent him from knowing that fact.

It used to be easy to remember everything about her. Now, 12 years later, it becomes harder every time he tries. He takes a deep breath and tries again.

He opens his eyes and sees daylight flood his room. He had fallen asleep once more. He looks at the clock on his bedside table and sighs in relief. The clock read 6:18. He had over two hours to get to work.

Syaoran was now the head of the Financial Department of Wong, Incorporated. His position gave him much power and wealth. He was responsible only to the president of the company, Fei Wong Reed. Syaoran was only 25 years old but he had already conquered office politics and was comfortably sitting at the top. At the beginning, and even now, many people were wary of his fast rise through the ranks. There were a number of plots made to put him back in his place but he had outmaneuvered them all. Syaoran was very good at what he did. That was the one thing his opponents did not anticipate. Add to that the trust that the president gave him, that practically ensured that his ascent had no major enemies. Despite everything, Syaoran liked his job. He enjoyed it. That was what he considered the most important. The money had never interested him. He had been disillusioned long ago. No amount of money was able to save the person he cared for the most. That, to him, had been a betrayal. With so much money at his disposal now, it had never come close to controlling him. This was one of the things that set him apart from his money-hungry colleagues.

He got up and decided to get ready for work. The president was making a big announcement in their meeting today. The details have been highly confidential and no one from the different departments had any information. It would be a good idea for him to go to work early and get a feel of the atmosphere. He might even get an idea of what the announcement would be.

He was ready for work within an hour and was headed out the door when his phone started ringing. He took a quick glance at the caller ID and took the call.

"Eriol?" he spoke into the phone. "What is it? It's rare for you to be up before 9."

He heard a laugh on the other end. "It is, isn't it? Anyway, that isn't why I called you."

"What's the matter? Is something wrong? Problems with the kid?"

"No, there's nothing wrong. Tomoyo's pregnancy is going well. I was just wondering if you were free on Saturday. We haven't seen each other in so long. Also, Tomoyo wants to talk to you."

"Ah. I was wondering when you were going to call. It's about that time I guess."

"About that time?" he could hear confusion lace his friend's voice.

"You're talks have become rather regular as of late. I calculated it would be just around the corner again."

Even if it was over the phone, Syaoran knew Eriol had just rolled his eyes then.

"You notice things like that?"

"Unfortunately," he answered.

"Well, in any case, are you free?"

"Can I get back to you on that? My schedule for the weekend hasn't been set yet. I might have something to do."

"Work?"

"Yes. I don't know the details so I'll call you when I do."

"Right, thanks."

"Bye then."

Pocketing his phone, Syaoran heads for his car. As he sits in the driver's seat he thinks back to his conversation with Eriol.

Eriol and his wife, Tomoyo, were the two people who tried their hardest to get him to move on. They were his closest friends. They had known each other since grade school. They had been close to her as well. He understood their concern for him. One constancy in his life were the regular talks he had with the both of them. He knew they meant well. That was the only reason he still had the patience to attend these talks.

He decided to drop the issue and concentrate on the task at hand. The President remained extremely secretive about the topic of today's meeting. He'd been seeing a number of people enter the President's office and have long meetings. He also noticed the good mood the President has been in for the past few weeks. He had a gut feeling that there was going to be a major upheaval in the company as a result of today's meeting. What unsettled him was how little he knew of the situation. It must have been a very sensitive topic if not even he was privy to the details.

He drove into the underground parking lot and saw the usual man waiting for him. Slowing his driving and stopping in front of the said man, Syaoran goes out and gives him the keys. Giving a slight nod, the company valet gets into his car and parks it for Syaoran. He walks towards the elevator and sees his secretary, Yamazaki, standing in front of the elevator. He and Syaoran go way back. He was one of his closest friends and his steadfast ally in his precarious climb to the top.

"Waiting long?" he asked as he approached Yamazaki.

Yamazaki shook his head and answered. "No, I just happened to arrive a little before you."

"You're worried about today, too."

Yamazaki nodded. "I decided to go early and pick up information. It's 55 minutes until the meeting. We can learn a lot in that time."

Syaoran gave a small smile. "It seems were on the same wavelength."

"Have you really no idea what it's about, Syaoran?"

Syaoran shook his head as he answered. "I already told you. I don't even know enough to venture a guess."

"Maybe this will help. I heard from a reliable source that the president was seen having dinner with the Amamiyas several times in the past few weeks."

Syaoran's eyebrows furrowed at what Yamazaki revealed to him. "The Amamiya Zaibatsu has always been a good friend and partner of the President. They've have good ties. I heard the companies started helping each other out about 10 years ago."

"I thought the same when I first heard. But even then, it was rare for them to just have dinner that often. They told me these dinners have become more frequent as of late. They were usually once every week but now they meet at least three times a week."

"That's a bit too frequent."

"I also heard that top execs from both companies join them sometimes."

Syaoran frowned and got his brain cells working. The information Yamazaki had imparted was important. Fitting the facts together, he came up with one conclusion.

"Syaoran? Any predictions? You've got your thinking face on."

"It's a merger."

He could see Yamazaki's eyes widen in surprise. "That's a bit extreme, don't you think? Couldn't it be just another partnership thing?"

Syaoran shook his head. "Why the secrecy then? At least a few department heads should know about any partnerships but not a soul knows."

"A merger would be huge!" Yamazaki exclaimed.

"We could very well take over the entire Asian market."

"Wow, that's going to be good news to us."

Syaoran was not pleased with the possibility. He examined Yamazaki until Yamazaki gave him a questioning look. Syaoran shook his head and pressed the elevator button. A few moments passed before the doors opened. He and Yamazaki entered and he mulled over his thoughts as he stared at his reflection on the elevator doors.

He did not tell Yamazaki the other possibility he came up with. Other than a merger, a hostile take-over could also happen. Both companies have been comrades for 10 years and so a merger would not all be surprising. However, Syaoran had his doubts about the President's camaraderie with the head of the Amamiya Zaibatsu. He had seen them together often enough and knew they got along. Syaoran just couldn't shake the feeling that there was something simmering on the surface of their smiling facades. The President was sincere in his friendship but Syaoran was not sure with regards to the Amamiya brood. He had very sharp senses and he doubted anyone else noticed this. His heightened senses on matters like this have never failed him and thus he was able to sail to the top the food chain without much difficulty. He felt uneasy whenever he saw the Amamiyas and hoped for the first time that he was just being paranoid.

The doors opened as they finally reached the 32nd floor. The 30th to the 35th floors were occupied by Syaoran's department and his personal office was on this floor. He met one of his staff as he stepped out of the elevator.

"Li-san, I was just about to call you. It's good that you came early. The President has been in your office for the past 15 minutes waiting for you. He wants to talk to you."

"Is he alone?"

"He has a companion with him, Sir. However, he wishes to talk with you alone."

"All right, I understand." He turned to Yamazaki. "Yamazaki, will you handle what we were just discussing?"

His companion smiled. "Leave it to me, Syaoran."

"Thank you." Syaoran then turned to his other companion. "Tate, do not allow anyone to disturb us, understand? You can enter only if it's highly urgent."

"Yes, Sir."

"Go on then," he says as he gestures Tate to leave. "I'll go to the President now."

Syaoran eventually reached the doors leading to his office. As he opened the door he immediately scanned the room for the President. He found him reading the newspaper in one of the chairs. He also noticed a woman watching the city from the window. The President looked up as he heard the door open.

"Ah, good morning, Syaoran. It's good to see you."

"Good morning, president. You wanted to meet with me?"

The president stood up and approached Syaoran. "Yes. I have an important task for you."

"I'll do my best, Sir," Syaoran answered automatically.

"First of all, I would like to introduce you to someone." The President turned towards the other person in the room. "Miss Amamiya, if you please."

The woman turned and walked towards them. Syaoran's eyes didn't leave the Presidents face. He wanted to gauge the president's state of mind from the way he looked.

"Syaoran, I would like you to meet Miss Mari Amamiya."

Syaoran looked away from the president and faced her. A wave of vertigo hit Syaoran as her eyes met his. Nothing else registered but her eyes. Deep in his mind, he knew the eyes that were looking back at him. He had lost himself many times in them after all. He had the image of these eyes burned into his memory. The eyes staring at his own were a bit different from what he remembered though. The eyes he knew were bottomless pools of green. Warm and kind, endlessly drawing you into their depths. These eyes were cold and hard. Exactly like emeralds. These eyes were impenetrable, giving no idea of the thoughts within.

"Syaoran, are you all right?"

He broke eye contact and looked at the concerned expression on the President's face.

"I'm all right, Sir. I don't know what that was about."

He looked back at her and finally saw her as she was. Syaoran realized he had never laid eyes on the person standing in front of him. Her face was framed by hair as black as night and her skin was the color of light honey. She had an air of command about her. Her face was devoid of any lines. It could have been the result of aesthetic surgery but Syaoran felt that it was because this woman rarely changed her expression. She was beautiful and came with a sense of almost savage beauty about her.

He reached out his hand and spoke. "Li Syaoran. It's a pleasure to meet you Amamiya Mari-san."

She shook his hand and Syaoran felt something like a little burst of electricity at her touch. "The pleasure is mine."

Her face showed no change and Syaoran assumed she had not felt anything. Her voice stirred something in his memories but he could not remember exactly what. It was like grasping something ethereal.

Clapping his hands together, the President drew their attention to him. "Right then. Now that you're acquainted, I'm giving you your new duty, Syaoran."

"Sir?"

"I'm leaving Miss Amamiya in your care for the time being. It's just until the meeting today. I've things to attend to right now and I can't just drag her along anywhere."

"I understand, President." Syaoran nodded.

"Miss Amamiya, Syaoran here will be responsible for you until the meeting."

"All right, President Reed," she nodded in understanding.

The President looked from Syaoran to Miss Amamiya and then smiled. "I'm afraid I have to leave you now. Duty calls."

Both Syaoran and his companion nodded. "Sir."

Syaoran watched the President go out the door and begins to feel awkward all of a sudden. He reacted like a weirdo when they first met and so he was apprehensive as to how he was going to approach her. He tries to make conversation to make both of them comfortable. He knew from what he saw of her that she was unperturbed being left alone with a man she did not know.

"Is there anything I can get you, Amamiya-san? It will be awhile before the meeting."

She gave him a quick glance. "I shall be fine. You need not get me anything. I'm satisfied just sitting in one corner until the meeting. Thank you."

"That won't do, I'm afraid. You're a guest and I can't simply leave you alone."

"I won't be a guest for much longer," she replied.

"I see. Does that have something to do with the agenda of today's meeting?"

"I would hate to speak of anything before President Reed. I will allow him to explain the details. Until that time, I don't have the right to speak about such matters."

She did not speak defiantly. It was almost as is she was indifferent to everything. "All right, I understand."

"Have you been working for the company long, Li-san?"

Syaoran was a bit surprised at her question. "I was already sort of employed when I was I college. It's been almost 7 years now."

"Seven years in a company that's been good to you. That earns a great deal of respect and loyalty."

He nodded in agreement. "That's true. And you, Amamiya-san?"

"I've been involved with the Amamiya Zaibatsu for 5 years. They have been good to me as to earn my loyalty and respect."

"It seems we are similar in that respect."

"That's true," she echoed his own answer.

Before Syaoran could ask her another question, Tate gave a knock at the door. He entered after Syaoran gave him the signal to enter.

"Li-san, there's a call from Eda-san of the Creative Department."

"I'll take it outside, thank you."

"They'll be on hold at line 1, Sir." With that he closed the door and left.

Syaoran turned to his companion. "I apologize for leaving you but I believe it would not be right to burden guests with boorish talk of business."

Amamiya's expression did not change at all as she answered. "I understand. Please take your time."

"If you'd excuse me then." Syaoran gave a bow and left the room.

He was already used to such calls. A lot of people consulted him on a number of matters. In addition to his own work, he unwillingly took the role of business counselor of the company. He goes to Yamazaki's table and picks up the phone.

"Eda."

"Li-kun. I'm glad that you're early. I've got a few things to consult with you."

"Or course. Could you please record this call? It's so I can follow through with my counsels in further detail after I am able to thoroughly examine them. The President gave me extra work today so I might miss a few things."

"As expected of you, Li-kun."

Syaoran couldn't quite put what emotions were put into that reply. He put that aside and asked him to continue. He listened and commented frequently on the case being presented. His department was responsible for finances after all. No one could even pay for the morning paper with company money unless they got through the strict regimen of Syaoran's department.

"A bidding would not be necessary. Bidding is for state money. Private companies don't take those things to heart. You just need to present justification as to why you purchased that particular product."

Syaoran's attention was caught by Yamazaki tapping his watch. He checked his own and found out it was only 15 minutes before their meeting with the president.

"Eda, I'm sorry to cut this short but I have a meeting with President Reed in a while and I have to leave now. Call me back after at least 2 hours."

Syaoran does not wait for a reply and ends the call immediately. He curses under his breath. He didn't realize how long the conversation had been. He hoped the guest took no offense at being thrown to the side. He enters the room and sees Amamiya standing a few feet from the door.

She did not show signs of displeasure but Syaoran bet she didn't show signs of anything. "Sorry, I didn't realize the time."

"It's of no consequence," she replied. "The meeting will start soon, should we go?"

"Yes, please follow me."

Syaoran kept silent as he led their guest to their meeting room on the 47th floor. They arrived with 2 minutes to spare before the designated time. Everyone who was of importance was already seated. As soon as they entered, Syaoran immediately caught the President's eye. He signaled for Syaoran to come to him. He in turn looked back at his companion and gestured her to follow him.

"I was wondering where you were," the President commented as Syaoran stopped beside him.

"Eda of the creative department wanted to consult me about something. I didn't notice the time. I'm sorry."

"Well, you're here now and that's what matters." He looked towards Amamiya and spoke. "Miss Amamiya, please take a seat by my side. Syaoran, you occupy the seat on my other side. I want you both beside me."

"Yes, Sir."

After seating himself, Syaoran looks around to see the people who were in attendance. The company VPs were all present as well as all the department heads. Every one of them was studying the only stranger in the room. Syaoran stole a glance from her and saw that she was a bit detached from the things going on. After a few tense minutes, the president finally took his seat and began the meeting.

"Good morning, everyone. I'm glad all of you are present today. The topic of today's meeting is important because it entails the direction our company will be taking in the future. Only a handful of the people in this room know the specifics of what those plans are. The others have been kept in the dark. But no longer."

The President met the eyes of everyone in the room.

"Before I divulge them, I want everyone to know that we've thought long and hard about our future plans and we came to the conclusion that this will benefit all of us in the long run."

The people in the room were silent. All of them were eager to know what the President was talking about.

After a few seconds, the President spoke once more. "The Amamiya Zaibatsu has been a true friend of the company in this harrowing world of business. They occupy a large niche here in Japan as well as large markets in different countries in West Asia. Our companies deal with different things. They are a multinational pharmaceutical company while our own deals more on advertising. Despite that, all the projects we've done in partnership with them have always given us extraordinary results. All our partnerships so far have given us the most profit. Seeing the strong ties between our two companies, we have decided to merge both companies into a new power."

Gasps of surprise and astonishment were heard all throughout the table. Murmurs here and there were also heard. Syaoran felt no satisfaction in having his earlier predictions come true. He kept a poker face and decided to hear what else the President had to say.

"A merger, President?"

"But that would mean -"

"Dividing our powers -"

"What of our current positions?"

"I've worked hard for the company for decades and now -"

"Our positions have to be -"

Syaoran wanted to laugh out loud at all their comments. He knew he should have been used to it but the greed of the people in the company always took him by surprise. Typical of them to only care about themselves. Syaoran was indifferent to all their worthless complaints. He looked towards their guest and guessed from the slight look of disgust on her face that her thoughts were similarly occupied. That was the first time she even showed a hint of emotion.

"Listen to me," the President started.

"But, Sir! I disagree -"

"It isn't right!"

"What about our hard work?"

"Everything becomes worthless. We'll have to start -"

"You should have consulted us -"

"Our company can stand alone -"

"I said listen to me. This isn't some night market where we haggle like the common folk." The President finally raised his voice. He saturated his voice with all his authority and the entire room fell silent. "If you refuse to listen then I suggest you leave."

"But, Sir!"

"But nothing. Now, listen to me."

Syaoran was always amazed at how the President was able to command respect.

"Do you think I have not considered all the aspects of the merger? Do you think I tell you this now because of a whim? No!" Everyone flinched as he President slammed his fist on the table. "Do you think I'm senile that I do things without thinking? All the people I have consulted have agreed that this is the best path for our company to take. If there is anyone who should feel most slighted by this merger it should be me. I worked to make the company what it is for three decades. I built it from scratch! Do you see me whining over this merger? No! I arranged it all with the Amamiya Zaibatsu so that everyone will come up the winner after the merge."

The President took a deep breath before continuing.

"Now, to ease your fears, although I say merge, both companies will still remain autonomous units. They will operate independent of each other. We'll have a new name, that's true. But other than that, our original structure remains more or less the same. Our merge is more a sign of fraternity than anything else. Well, regarding stocks and shares there will be a few changes but otherwise, everything remains the same. Will this satisfy you?"

"What made the President decide on such a move?" asked a person who Syaoran recognized as Sagara Irumi, head of the Internals Department. "We were doing fine on our own. I don't see the benefits, Sir."

"It's true that we are doing well. We can survive the next few years. But what about in ten years? Just think of what the Amamiya contingent could bring us. They could help us open new doors. The Amamiya Zaibatsu has been alive since the Meiji Era. That is enough to prove their worth. I want this company to stand the test of time. The honor and prestige of the Amamiya name will carry over to our company and we will need such influences should we decide to send our tendrils out of Japan. Also, I trust the head of the Amamiya Zaibatsu. He is old and wise and we can rely on his wisdom and judgment for a good many things."

"Are you certain this is for the best, President?"

"I give you my word."

"Then that is enough for me. The President has never given me reason to doubt his decisions and so I shall go along with this merge."

Another member of the group spoke up. "The President has given us his word and that is as good as any written contract. Better even."

Similar murmurs of acceptance were heard throughout the table. The President gave everyone a warm smile.

"Thank you everyone. Your understanding and acceptance mean much to me. I have another announcement though. Although you do not voice it I'm sure many of you are curious to who our guest is."

Eyes darted here and there while most chanced a glass at the silent intruder of the proceedings.

"I would like everyone to meet Miss Mari Amamiya."

Upon hearing her name, Amamiya stood up and gave a deep bow. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Her voice was unnaturally soft compared to what Syaoran had heard before but you could sense the underlying purpose in them. She sat down again immediately after the introduction.

"She's the official envoy of the Amamiya Zaibatsu. She answers to no one but the Head himself. She will be handling the merge of our companies. She'll be stationed here as of today and shall continue to do so until the official day of the merge. Her authority is equivalent to that of a Vice-President."

Murmurs racked through the table once more. Feeling that another outburst was imminent, the President raised his hand to silence the oncoming tirade.

"I know what you are all worried about. Now in order to placate everyone, the Amamiyas have thought it necessary for our own company to have representative in the committee. There will now be two people responsible to the merge. One from the Amamiyas and one from us. I have thought long and hard about the person who should do it and I was heartened to know that everyone involved in the planning agreed that the person I had chosen was the best choice for the position."

Vice-President Saitou Ryo added his own assurances. "As the President said, we believe this person will ensure that our company shall only gain from this new chapter. He was the immediate choice for all of us."

"It's as Saitou said. The person who will representative and who shall work with Miss Amamiya will be none other than Li Syaoran."

Syaoran was surprised at his name being called. After a few seconds he was aware that everyone's eyes were centered on him. He met the President's eyes to escape his colleagues' scrutiny. The only thing he saw in the President was his absolute trust in him. He was humbled by it.

"What do you say to my announcement, Syaoran?"

"I am honored. I shall do my best to meet the expectations of the company."

Whispers could be heard all around the table once more. Syaoran was once again aware that many people were already wary of him. As such, being appointed to such an important job gave them an idea just how much the President valued and trusted Syaoran. It was both a blessing and a curse. He knew he was going to get a new batch of enemies before today was done.

"I trust your department can function without you for a few weeks?"

Syaoran snapped back to the present as he heard the president talk to him once more. "It's no problem, Sir. I can divide my time and perform both tasks satisfactorily. None of my present work will suffer from the addition of this new task. I made sure my department can function with minimal guidance from me anyway. They don't need to be watched every moment."

The President seemed pleased with this. "That's reassuring."

"It's nothing, Sir."

"From now on I would like the Merge Committee to be temporarily housed in your department. Just so you don't need to move around too much."

"I can arrange an empty office within an hour, Sir. You needn't worry yourself with the details."

"That's my boy," the President said with obvious pride. "Now, Miss Amamiya, I shall leave you once again in the capable hands of young Syaoran here."

"Thank you, President Reed."

The President looked back to the people in the room. "Well, that's everything I wanted to say. If any of you are interested in the merge details then you can approach Syaoran any time. He can't divulge everything but he can give general answers to anybody interested. But please give him a few days to be acquainted with everything. The meeting is adjourned. However, Miss Amamiya and Syaoran, please remain so we can talk about the details further."

The people slowly rose and left the room. They knew the President was serious about not needing anyone else. Syaoran could feel the glances most of them threw at him as they quitted the room. He pretended not to notice them. He was sure Mari Amamiya was receiving the same treatment but like him chose to ignore them.

As soon as the room was empty the president immediately delved into the details of the merge. Syaoran paid close attention to everything he said. Almost an hour has passed before the President wrapped everything up and dismissed the both of them.

"Ask any questions you may have before you leave."

Syaoran and Amamiya replied that they had none.

With that the President gestured for them to leave. "I'll leave everything to the both of you then. I expect reports at the end of each day. Let's all do our best for both companies."

"Of course, Sir."

"We'll do our very best."

The President walked with them as they headed out the door."I expect only the best from the both of you. Now, be off."

Both of them waited for the President to close the door before making their way towards the elevator.

"It seems we will be together from now on. I look forward to working with you," Syaoran started.

"And I as well. The President told me that you were the most capable person for the job."

"Really? That's a little too much faith in me I think."

"I'm sure it was an objective choice."

"Thank you," he answered with a little smile. Amamiya simply nodded.

"I can have an empty office before lunchtime. However, I need to attend to my department's affairs as soon as I get back. I need to make the announcement as well as to ensure they become semi-independent for the time being. Would it be all right with you to wait in my office before we get the room ready?"

"Thank you for the offer. However, I had intended to report to my superiors right after the meeting. I also need to take everything that I will need from my office. There are a number of files I need to transfer. I shall be finished by 2 PM this afternoon."

"That would be good then. I'll have everything ready by then."

"Thank you."

The elevator doors opened and both of then entered.

"Ground floor?" Syaoran asked.

"Yes, please."

Syaoran pressed the buttons for both their destinations. Both were silent as they descended. It took a few moments before the elevator stopped at Syaoran's floor.

Syaoran turned to bid farewell but accidentally caught her gaze. He found himself lost in them once more. The eyes looking at him were so familiar yet so different at the same time. Syaoran had no idea what to make of it. He would have kept staring had his companion not gestured towards the open doors. Realizing where he was, Syaoran blinked a few times to clear his head and rushed out of the elevator, the image of those eyes still etched in his memory.

-oOo-

**Author's note:** Yosh, that's the first chapter done. Tell me what you guys think. Reviews, comments, suggestions and critiques are very much welcome. Also, there was a part at the beginning where I mentioned about having dreamless nights. That's not true. I just said so for the sake of the story. In truth, people always dream at night. It's one of the hallmarks of REM sleep. The reason we think we don't have any dreams is because we forget them when we wake up. Sorry, the inner nerd in me just didn't want to let that scientific fact go. There's a bit of a scientist in me so I don't want to pass around false information. Forgive my random bouts of nerdiness. Anyway, as I said, leave a review if you've got the time. I hoped you enjoyed reading! :D


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